Lilly's Wedding Quilt (4 page)
A quick knock on the door sounded. She responded in an absent tone, her mind enraptured. “Come in.”
There was a distinct moment of silence, a sudden drifting awareness, and then the dawning knowledge that Jacob had entered the room, and that her hair hung loose and damp below her waist. It was only the privilege of a husband to view his wife’s hair unbound, and her lack of haste had put her in this awkward situation. She started to bundle the dark mass up with frantic fingers but to no avail. She discarded the passing, childish thought to run and jump into the bright, quilted bed and hide under the covers.
“Jacob—I—the paintings. They’re amazing. Who does them?”
“Seth. It’s kind of a thing he only shares with the family. That’s why the paintings are in here. I’ve got one in my room.”
Lilly thought of Jacob’s younger brother. Twenty-three-year-old Seth Wyse, with his golden hair and bright blue eyes, seemed the absolute antithesis of the dark Jacob. Although the brothers were similar in attracting the girls, Seth had an infectious grin, a cheerful disposition, and the deepest baritone at singings. He was a charmer to be sure. Yet his paintings revealed a side of him that she never imagined existed. The depth and maturity of the art drew both heart and spirit.
She held her hair back over her shoulders and wished Jacob would go out, seeking for something to say to break the moment.
“You must be very proud of Seth.”
“He’s my little
bruder
, but he’s my best friend. I’d ask you not to say anything of his painting though. It really is a private thing.”
“Of course, but it’s also a gift from
Derr Herr
.” She tried not to shiver. “Do you think he might come to school one day to give the
kinner
a drawing lesson?” She smiled at the thought while a frown appeared on Jacob’s face.
“Seth’s finished his schooling.”
“
Ach
, I know but—”
“You’d best hurry. And, if you don’t mind, I could use a bit of help bandaging this arm again before I change my shirt.”
Politely snubbed
, Lilly thought. She began to tap one slender foot in the same rhythm she used when dealing with stubborn students.
“Am I in trouble?” he asked, his mood quicksilver and his deep voice laced with humor. “I always seemed to rub teachers the wrong way when I was in school; things must not have changed much.”
She stopped tapping when her arms began to ache from holding her hair back. “You know perfectly well that I’m standing here, with my hair down, and you should show enough respect to—”
He laughed aloud and she frowned at the provoking sound.
“After aiding a horse thief, checking out a gunshot wound, and time alone in a deserted barn, you’re worried about your hair being down?”
“Yes,” she snapped, ignoring the faint guilt that added a heated kiss to his list.
“Your priorities are strange, teacher, but if you still want to go, you need to hurry. The ceremony will be over and they’ll be at the food soon. I will go out while you change, of course.”
“Of course,” she said. As his eyes sparkled at her, she felt foolish for losing her temper. He gave her a parting grin, and she went to the bureau to find dry underclothes and socks and then hastened to change into a dark green blouse, black dress, and apron. She bundled her hair back up into a dry
kapp,
then glanced ruefully down at her borrowed attire. The clothes were too short on her, revealing both black-stockinged ankles and long white arms.
Nevertheless, she really had no choice; she couldn’t return home for her own things. she’d have to explain the situation to her mother, who would have risen from her bed by now but would be ensconced on a couch downstairs. And she’d gone to all the trouble of securing a substitute teacher from Elk County for her class. This wedding, like most winter weddings, was being held on a less busy weekday instead of the weekend. More than that, she did not want to miss this social opportunity, even if it had become one of the most upside-down days of her young life.
She prayed as she extinguished the lamp and left the room, wanting to greet Jacob with encouragement and an apology for her snap of temper. When she went into the sitting area, she stopped when she saw him standing next to the kitchen sink, his shirt off and his back toward her. She did have an interest in the study of anatomy, but it was one thing to read it in a book and quite another to see it clearly delineated in broad musculature and well-shaped bones. And, she reasoned, she’d been so used to caring for her
daed
in the latter stages of his illness that she’d nearly forgotten what health looked like in the human frame. Thus reassured, she approached him and he turned his head over his shoulder.
“I cleaned the exit wound as best as I can, but I can’t reach all the way round.”
She nodded, sidling next to him to wash her hands with soap. She ignored the scent of his body—something like pine and summer mixed together—and dampened a fresh cloth to clean the back of his arm. He flinched when she dabbed at the small entry wound.
“Sorry.”
He shook his head. “Just go on.”
She proceeded while he gripped the sink edge with white-tipped fingers. She felt
naerfich
, nervous, at his proximity, then told herself that the feeling was ridiculous in light of their kiss. But if she moved forward in any direction, she’d come in contact with his lean hip, the fall of his suspender, or the warmth of his tanned arm, and it made her skittish.
She ignored the faint groan that came from his lips as she bandaged the wound in haste. Then she avoided looking at him entirely as she helped him into the clean blue shirt he’d gotten.
“Look, I’m not going to kiss you again, all right?”
“I didn’t say you were.”
He worked at tucking the shirt into his dark waistband with one hand and frowned at her. “
Nee
, but you’re as
naerfich
as a cat.”
“Cats are actually remarkably sedate.” She slid across the room and bent to feel the everyday reality of the damp leather of her soaking shoes. Clearly he did make her nervous, and she decided she didn’t like the rattling of her normal composure. It would be best to help him and be done with it.
“Here’s a cloak and bonnet of
Mamm’s
. I’ll be outside waiting.”
She caught the fall of wool that he tossed to her and watched him leave, now properly covered in shirt and another coat, and exhaled a breath she’d been holding for a very long time.
A
s they neared the King farm, a seemingly endless row of horses and buggies came into view. The whole adult community must have been invited; most weddings were smaller. Jacob began to doubt his actions in allowing the schoolteacher to be part of any of the mess he’d gotten himself into. Yet, at the thought of insisting she enter the well-lit King home alone, a soft voice, gentle but persistent, came to him from inside his heart. He’d experienced enough of his faith to recognize that it was
Derr Herr
who’d brought the girl to the barn this morning, and, for some reason, he understood that she was supposed to be involved. Still, as he angled the buggy into a spot, he felt he should give her one more chance to choose—but he already could guess her response.
She has a strong will
, he thought with a private smile.
“Sure we shouldn’t rather have a Doc in town take a look at this arm?” he asked her. “We know the bullet passed clean through; the bleeding’s pretty much stopped. It’s not too late for you to just slip out of the buggy and forget the whole thing.”
“Everyone will have seen us by now—together,” Lilly said, glancing at the wide, uncurtained windows of the King house where figures passed in gay motion, illuminated by many kerosene lamps.
Together. He blinked at that. He hadn’t considered how it might appear if they showed up late—and together—for the wedding celebration. He, who’d spent years dodging, or merely ignoring, advances from the ladies of the community, was arriving late to a wedding with a rumpled and ill-clothed schoolteacher. He bent his head and ran through the social implications of such an arrival. Of course, it could be as simple an explanation as him finding her along the road, stuck in the icy rain, and he just happened by. He nearly groaned aloud. More lies. And all his fault. But before he could think further, she’d slipped down from the buggy and stood on the ground looking up at him expectantly.
There was something brave about the way she stood in his mother’s socks and the too-short cloak and dress she wore. Her blue eyes were steady and trusting. But she had far more to lose in this situation than he did. Why, she could be forced to give up her teaching position if there was any question about where they had been. And he knew well enough the wagging tongues that some women in the community enjoyed using against others. He needed to just forget this whole thing and go see Granger, alone.
He looked up to see Lilly on the porch, looking back at him. He hastened to get down from the buggy and to reach her side. Before he could get there, the door was flung open by a young woman—Kate Zook. Jacob stifled a sigh. The newly-turned nineteen-year-old Zook girl was as spiteful as her mother, and he and Seth had spent many a social engagement trying to avoid the overt advances of the wily female. The girl was currently looking Lilly up and down with raised, questioning blond brows.
“Why, Jacob Wyse … and Lilly Lapp.” The girl’s voice carried insinuation. Jacob squared his jaw as those nearest the door stopped still to glance in their direction.
He took Lilly’s arm. “Kate. Good to see you. The cold is a bit much today. Would you mind letting us in?”
The girl widened the door, and Jacob kept a hand on Lilly’s arm as they pushed into the crowded room. The space seemed overly full of speculative and all-too-interested eyes. Jacob nodded to the men closest to him, then removed his hat, hanging it on a nail. A stirring in the crowd brought forth a petite older woman with a careworn face and anxious hazel eyes, who reached out small hands to touch his sleeve.
“Jacob, we’ve been so worried,” the woman said in a low voice.
He smiled down at her. “It’s all right,
Mamm
. It’s just been a busy morning.” He glanced at Lilly and Mrs. Wyse extended her hand to greet the schoolteacher.
“Lilly, it’s
gut
to see you.” His mother’s smile was warm; then she turned to her son. “Last night, Jacob—Seth and your
daed
went looking when you didn’t come home.”
Jacob loved his mother, though at the moment he wished she’d contain her concern; she certainly wasn’t making the situation look any better for Lilly.
He smiled again with reassurance, ignoring the group who’d now gathered about the door. “I’ll explain later,
Mamm
. Let’s take some time to celebrate. I, er, we must congratulate the bride and groom.”
“Jah
.” His mother nodded, patting his arm. “You both, take off your outdoor things and come and have something warm to eat.”
He hesitated to take off his coat, unsure if his arm had started to bleed again and shot a quick glance at Lilly. She appeared confident as she prepared to remove the borrowed cloak, but he knew how odd she’d appear once it was off.
“Uh,
Mamm
… Lilly, I mean, Miss Lapp, would surely like to keep her cloak on, as I would my coat, at least until we warm up a bit.”
He almost breathed a sigh of relief as Lilly’s fingers paused.
Then Kate Zook spoke loudly. “Not home last night, then late to the wedding, with the schoolteacher not wearing her own clothes—they do appear rather short. Were you two in some kind of trouble?”
Jacob saw his mother’s eyes flash green fire at the girl, and Lilly opened her mouth to speak. He cut her off.
“Kate,
danki
for your concern, but we must see the bride and groom before we enjoy any of the delicious food. If you’ll excuse us.”
He grabbed his mother’s arm and Lilly’s hand, figuring it was best to keep them close by in case anyone raised more questions. He plowed through the crowded front room into the next sitting room. Lavish food tables lined the area, with the
eck
, or bridal table, in one corner of the room. He squared his shoulders as he approached the bride and groom and their attendants with the two women in tow. He was perfectly aware of the attention he was attracting, not just with his mother and Lilly, but also because of the interest people had in what his reaction to the bridal couple would be.
His determined eyes took in the beauty of the bride, Sarah King—
nee
, Sarah Williams now—and her dear, familiar face; a face he’d known and loved since childhood. He couldn’t help it; when he saw her he forgot that she was the bride of the day—another man’s wife. He only thought of the years that he’d harbored a love for her that harrowed his heart and mind and robbed his will of reason. It was beyond him, beyond his ability to solve or escape. Then, unbidden, and against his will, he found himself praying a prayer for another love, a love that would sweep all before it like a driving spring rain. He almost smiled as he finished the thought. He must be addled in the head, from his wound and the wedding, because he knew without a doubt that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with another woman. His whole focus of living for the moment would bear no place for a second-best love.